Sanitary mouthpiece for drinking-glasses.



F. E. BLENGKSTONE.

SANITARY MOUTHPIEGE POR DRINKING GLASSES'.

APPLICATION FILED JAN,19, 1909.

glga Patented June 8, 1909. i

FREDERICK EDWARD BLENCKSTONE, OF ORADELL,` NEW JERSEY.

SANITARY MOTHPIECE FOR DRINKING-GLASSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application med January 19, 1909. serial No. 473,059.

To all. 'wh0m it may concern: A Be 1t known that I, Fresnes-Ick EDWARD BLENCKSTONEV, of Oradell, in the countyof Bergen and State of NeWJerse have 1n-A vented certain new and usefu Improvements in Sanitary Mouthpieces for Drinking-v ingwhich forms part of this specification.

y invention relates to a sanitary appli- -ance for drinkingglasses in public places.

The object of my invention is, as well tor yprevent contamination of public drinking glasses lWhen used by persons infected with disease, as alsoto overcome that repugnance Which persons of clean habits naturally ex- Eerience when thirsting for a drink in a pub- 'c place in which only one drinking glass is obtainable. I attain these objects by means of a device lor attachment for an ordinary drinking cu or tumbler in which a strip orl apron o paper, celluloid, or the like is temporarily amped 1n a positionl to receivethe contact of the lips and afterwardmemoved and. destroyed. Iln the drawingsf Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a drinking cup embodying the rinvciples of my invention; Fig. 2 is a detai erspective view of a portion of the device; ig.

. 3 is a perspective view of the apron.

As shown in Fig. 3, the apron E, made of sheet material, water tight and capable .of being destroyedby fire, as paraffin paper, celluloid, etc., is bent orcurved length-wise to conform to the circumference of an ordinary drinking glass below its rim; In order to retain the curved shape the bottom edge F is bent or folded, as clearly shown in drawing. The len thwise size of theapron corresponds to a litt e more than one-third of the circumference of the glass below its rim, and the vertical height of the apron above the folded edge is about one inch, more or less.

As shown in Fig. 1- the apron is held in place by the clamp C, which is curved to conorm with the curvature of the apron.' As` seen -in the same figure the apron thus adjusted forms an extension tothe glass that corresponds in size'to the length and height of the major part of the apron.

As shown 1n Fig. 2 from the clamp C eX- tends vertically downward a shaft or extension B that at the lower end M is curved and broadened; At a point H between the' curved (part M and the clamp C the shaft fastene to the upper part of'a flat s ring A, thatfrom this point extends vertica y down- Ward, between the, shaft B and the glass, to the rim or the side of the tumbler holder to which it is fastened. The tumbler holder D is indicated by dotted lines.

In the use vof the device, a slight pressure by the thumb of one hand upon the shaft or extension. B, displaces clamp Coutwardly, due to the flexing 'of the spring A. The apron E is inserted into the gap or space between the clampY C and the rim of the glass, being positioned 4with its convex side toward the clamp and its interior folded edge F in .con

sure on the thumb-piece M may now be released, causing the-clamp to be ressed to- Ward the rim ofthe tumbler, W ere* itengages and lclamps the .apron E. It will be noted that the pressure of the clamp is exerted opposite the folded edge F of the apron, causing the latter to pack ti htly against the glass. The e'fliciency of t is packing engagement is considerably due to the fact that the folded edge F is slightly Aoffset from the rest of the apron E, being folded on a round instead of a sharp edge. Accordingly the folded edge is free to take exactly the contour of the glass against which it is pressed, even though the clam C has a slightly different curvature or et 1er irregularity. The foregoing action aise compensates for any irre ularity in the thickness of paper or cellulold of Which a ron E is composed. Wnen the glass is tilte in the act of drinking, the liquid'level becomes elevated above the edge of the apron E,but it will be found that a perfectly tight acking engagement is secured and -that t ere is no leakage past the folded edge F. After use the a ron is readily removed by being simply pul ed free without manipulating the finger piece M. The drinking glass can then be washed in the usual way.

It willbe evident Ithat the device is pen feet-ly sanitary, any contact between the ips ico los

vand the glass being entirely precluded. Lip f cells, bacteria and mucus de )osited by a drinker are retained on the major portion of the al ron E. As the a rons are removed and estroyed, the public drinking glass is protected against contamination and any persons using drinking glasses 1n public and contaminating contact l/Viiat I claim, is 2- l. A sanitary device for drinking glasses comprising a spring clamp and an apron hav? ing a folded edge adapted to be clamped in to contact with the glass and establish a packing engagement therewith.

2. A sanitary device for drinking glasses comprising a spring clamp and an apron having a folded edge oil-set from the surface of the apron and adapted to be clamped into contact with the glass to establish a packing.

engagement therewith.

3. A sanitary device for drinking glasses comprising a tumbler holder, a clamp flexibly connected to the tumbler holder and resiliently impelled inward therefrom, said clamp having a rigid curved edge ada ted t0 contact with the rim of a lass 1n the iolder, means for displacing said c amp outward, and an apron adapted to be pressed into engagement with the glass by said clam 4. A sanitary device for drin (ing glasses comprising a spring clamp and an apron of concave outline corresponding to the curvature of the glass and hav-ing an inwardly folded lower edge off-set from the main portion of the apron, a'nd adapted to be forced into contact with the glass to establish a packing engagement therewith.

FREDERICK EDWARD BLENCKSTONE.

Witnesses:

R. A. TATE, N. A. TERHUNE. 

